There's a new leader atop the PSAC's Western Division standings and it's the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats.

Guard Fred Mulbah scored a game-high 22 points and the Pitt-Johnstown men's basketball team held off a late rally Monday night to beat No. 4 Indiana (Pa.) 70-68 in a showdown of first-place teams in th PSAC West at the Sports Center.

The Mountain Cats (14-3, 10-1 PSAC) won their seventh consecutive game and assumed sole possession of the lead in the PSAC West.

The Mountain Cats, who led by as many as 14 points in the first half, took the lead for good at 65-64 on a layup by Mulbah with 4:30 to play.

Guard Armoni Foster's basket pulled IUP to within 70-68 with 50 seconds to play, but the Mountain Cat defense stiffened and forced four straight Crimson Hawks misses down the stretch to preserve the victory and lift the Mountain Cats into sole possession of first place in the PSAC West.. 

Mulbah was one of four players in double figures for coach Bob Rukavina's Pitt-Johnstown team. Forward John Paul Kromka finished with a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, guard Jared Jakubick added 11 points and guard Drew Magestro 10.

Guard Dave Morris had 21 points for IUP, which had its six-game winning streak snapped. Foster contributed 14 points and nine assists.

The Mountain Cats shot 50% (29 of 58) from the floor and 27.8% (5 of 18) from 3-point range, while limiting the Crimson Hawks to 44.3% (27 of 61) and 35.7% (10 of 28) from behind the arc. 

Pitt-Johnstown got off to a quick and built its biggest lead in the first half at 33-19 with 5:50 remaining. Magestro, Mulbah and Jakubick combined for 26 of those points on 11-for-18 shooting. Jakubick added a pair of 3-pointers for the hot shooting Mountain Cats.

Pitt-Johnstown, which led 41-33 at halftime, maintained a nine point lead at the 16:33 mark of the second half after guard Joe Batt made a layup to stretch the advantage to 49-40.

IUP clawed back to take a 54-53 lead on Foster's 3-pointer with 12 minutes left in regulation. However, the Mountain Cats quickly regained the lead at 57-54 on Kromka's layup and two free throws by Mulbah.  It stayed closed the rest of the way, but Pitt-Johnstown late defensive stand preserved the victory.

Mulbah and Magestro scored 10 points each in the first half as the Mountain Cats shot 51.6% (16 of 31) from the field. Morris topped IUP with 13 points, including three 3-pointers.

Pitt-Johnstown will face Mercyhurst University at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in a PSAC West road game.